


Fallen Angel, With A Broken Arrow

by antigone2071



Series: Damaged People [2]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-11
Updated: 2016-01-18
Packaged: 2018-05-13 06:38:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5698699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antigone2071/pseuds/antigone2071
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Byrdie learns Daryl isn't perfect.<br/>Takes place over the first half of season 5</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from the song of the same name, by High Flying Birds. Lyrics in end notes if you are unfamiliar with the song.

It had been several days since they were locked in the shipping car together. It quickly became very obvious to Byrdie how much Daryl loved and trusted these people. He introduced her to all of them, well all except the 4 he had just met. There was Sasha and Bob, Maggie and her husband Glenn. Maggie apparently had a little sister, Beth, who was with Daryl for a while before she got taken. Byrdie didn't say anything, but she knew the girl was dead. There was no good in this world anymore.

After a couple days one of the girls from the group Daryl didn't know came up to her. Introduced herself as Tara and said they were friends. Byrdie didn't reply. She didn't believe in friends anymore and couldn't figure out why these people were trying to be nice to her. At any rate, this Tara told her the other people she was with were Rosita, Abraham, and Eugene. That they had a plan to fix the world. She didn't believe her. Even if they could make the dead stay dead, they couldn't fix how wrong the world was now. They couldn't put the goodness back. 

************************************************************

Rick had come up with a plan to attack the people holding them captive. The whole group started working on weapons. Making them out of the things they found in the shipping car. All except Byrdie. She didn't have anything on her person to repurpose, and even if she did she was all out of fight. 

"Is she ok? What happened to her?" Byrdie overheard Michonne asking Daryl.  
"Ya don' wanna know. Don' know if she's alright. Kinda shut down." Daryl replied.

There was a bang on the door and someone shouted for them to go to each end of the car.  
"This is it!" Rick said. And everyone braced themselves for the fight ahead.  
The top of the shipping car opened up and a smoke bomb was dropped in. After it went off the front door was opened, a few people were taken and the door closed again. When the smoke cleared Daryl was gone.

Abraham and Rosita figured the four taken were dead and tried to break out of the car. Byrdie quietly sat down and peered through the cracks at the goings on outside. After a while there was a loud explosion and chaos took over outside the shipping car. Maggie and Carl were certain they would be back to get the rest out. Byrdie wasn't.  
"Do you trust him?" Michonne asked sitting down beside her and peering through the same crack at the chaos beyond.  
"What?" Byrdie asked.  
"Daryl. Do you trust him?" She asked again.  
Byrdie just looked at her for a minute. She didn't know this woman, but she had kind eyes and seemed to genuinely care.  
"I don't know yet. He was good to me when the rest weren't. I want to trust him, but I don't know." Byrdie half whispered to herself.  
"He'll be back. Trust him." Was all she said before standing up and joining the conversation with the rest of the group about Eugene's plan to save the world.

Byrdie sat quietly in her own world while the others talked. Daryl had been good to her since the start. He never had a reason to be either. It's not like she would have fought him had be been like the rest. And he knew it too, it's why he told her he wasn't going to touch her that first night. And he came back for her after he, Rick, and Michonne had killed Joe and the rest. Again he didn't have to. Hell, he shouldn't have. She was chained and defenseless. A liability in a world like this. But he brought her with them, and Rick and Michonne never questioned it. He even kept his promise and got her chain taken off. Michonne was right, he would be back. 

************************************************************

Suddenly the door flew open.  
"C'mon, let's go!" Rich shouted, a rifle in hand.  
Everyone piled out of the car leaving Byrdie last in the door.  
"C'mon. Stay close." Daryl said, grabbing her hand and helping her down the steps. He took off, taking out the dead with a blade he had found, and Byrdie did as he said, staying as close behind him as she could as they all made their way out the camp. 

The group made their way through the woods until they came upon the weapons cash Rick had hidden before their arrival. Rick wanted go back, take out the rest of the camp. No one else in the group seemed to agree. Suddenly the conversation stopped as everyone stared behind her and Daryl. They both turned to see a large black man holding a rifle and Daryl's crossbow. Sasha ran past them both allowing the man to take in a bear hug, lifting her off the ground. 

"Her brotha, Tyrese." Daryl whispered in Byrdie's ear.  
She smiled at the happy reunion as Rick walked up to the two, asking if Tyrese had done this. He nodded that he did and said something to Rick she couldn't hear. But it apparently settled it about whether or not the group would take out the rest of the camp as Rick was soon following the man somewhere, the rest of the group on their heals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize to Carol fans. Honestly I love her. I really do. But because of her relationship with Daryl it was difficult for me to progress his relationship with Byrdie and still have her in the picture. Please don't hate me for taking her out of the story.


	2. Chapter 2

They had been walking through the woods for days. Every time they stopped to eat or make camp Daryl was gently going over her wrists. Making sure they were healing.  
"Sorry." He said while washing the dirt out of the open sores by a stream.  
"Why?" Byrdie asked him.  
"'Bout these, 'bout the chain, those men. All of it I guess." He replied.  
"Why? You didn't do any of it." She said, watching him clean her wrists.  
"But I didn' stop it." He whispered.  
They stayed there silently for a minute while some of the others finished collecting water.  
"You're forgiven." She quietly said as they walked back to the camp.  
He just nodded and ushered her along. 

Daryl always kept her close. Kept an eye on her, made sure she ate. Never pressed her to talk about what happened. He took her hunting with him and started teaching her to defend herself. She still wasn't talking to anyone, but him. But slowly she found herself starting to feel like she belonged with these people. She wasn't sure she liked the notion. The last time she belonged didn't go very well. 

************************************************************

The group had made it to the North Georgia woods when they heard screaming. The group froze, hesitated. All but Carl who urged them to help. Finally the kid took off and Daryl was right behind him. Byrdie followed with the rest of the group until they came upon a priest stuck on a rock and surround by corpses. Daryl, Michonne, and Rick swiftly took them out and Rick called the priest down. 

While Rick spoke to the priest Daryl stepped back to find Byrdie. She caught his eye and mouthed she was ok. He made a motion for her to come over to him, he didn't want to leave Ricks side at this moment. It was established the priest was not an immediate threat and possibly had shelter. The group followed him to a small church in the woods. 

Once they arrived Rick asked to look around before they decided to stay.  
"Stay here." Daryl told Byrdie as he, Rick and a few of the others went inside to ensure the church was safe.  
Rick declared the building safe and they came back out to the front. Abraham mentioned about the bus they found out back, but the general consensus was to rest and refuel before setting out on Eugene's mission to D.C. again.  
"Bus ain't goin' nowhere." Daryl said to Abraham as Byrdie made her way up the steps to where Daryl was holding the door open. He gently placed his hand on the small of her back and followed her inside.

Once inside Rick started questioning the priest about how he had survived as long as he did. He said he had supplies on hand from before and that he scavenged from the town nearby. The group decided to make a run to this town and clear what little the priest said was left. Rick and Michonne left for the town. Took Bob, Sasha, and the priest with them. Daryl took Byrdie on a water run. 

************************************************************

On the way back he asked her about just how bad it got when she was with the group he found her with.  
She answered him with silence.  
"I get it. I do. You don' wanna talk about it. And I ain' gon make ya." He said.  
"But are you ok?" He asked  
"Of course I am. Don't have a choice do I?" Byrdie replied.  
"We get to start over now. All of us. Be like new." was all he said in answer.

They came over a hill and found an abandoned car on the side of the road.  
"Look." Byrdie said, gesturing toward the car. As she messed with the car trying to get it to start Daryl kept talking. "Look, I don' know all that happened. And I can't change it, but we ain't dead. You ain't dead. We get ta keep goin'. They don'." Byrdie figured the car could run, but she didn't tell Daryl. She wanted to trust him. Was trying to trust him. But she wanted the out just in case. She climbed out of the car and looked at him blinking once. "Ok." Was all she said before they continued back to the church.

************************************************************

Later that night they all sat around eating the bounty Rick, Michonne, Sasha, and Bob had brought back from the town. Daryl sat down beside Byrdie, handing her a plate piled high and a glass of wine with the command to eat.  
"Thank you." She smiled at him and went to watching the happiness of those around her. 

Abraham stood up and a made a toast to survivors. They all gave cheers and as Byrdie took a drink Daryl gently grabbed her hand and squeezed it giving her a small smile. She stared at him for a moment, frozen. His attention back on Abraham trying to enlist the group's help with getting Eugene to D.C. Her hand was still in his and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. Part of her liking the small sign of affection from this man. Part of her not wanting anything to do with it. Part of her just wanting to be free. And some tiny part of her wanting him to kiss her. 

The cheers all around broke Byrdie from her contemplation. Rick had agreed to go to D.C. As she was taking in the scene around her Daryl lifted her hand and softly kissed the back of it drawing her attention back to him. She stared at him wide eyed as he turned toward her and gently placed his other hand on her cheek. He just looked at her for a moment before leaning in and touching her lips with his own in a feather soft gesture. She froze and held her breath not sure yet if she wanted this. In the next second he was gone from her space. A mumbled apology on his lips as he walked away.

She sat and quietly finished her meal while Daryl went over and spoke with Rick. He is kind, she kept telling herself. He doesn't want to hurt you. She tried to make herself believe it, but she had known so much pain for so long before she met him that it was difficult. Byrdie decided it was best she leave. Be free and figure it out on her own. So while the rest talked, ate, and drank she quietly slipped away to the car they had found earlier. 

************************************************************

"What are ya doin'?" Daryl asked startling her from where she was getting the car started.  
"I can't, Daryl. I don't know. I just can't." Byrdie said. Tears starting to form in her eyes.  
"You'll be alright. We'll figure it out." He said as he walked over to her. 

Just as he was about to turn her back toward the church they heard another car approaching. Daryl quickly hid behind the cars open trunk, pulling Byrdie with him. When he saw the coming vehicle though he stood up and stared after it as it drove past. In a frenzy he smashed the tail lights of their own car out and told Byrdie to get in. Daryl climbed in the driver's side and took off after the other car. 

"Who are they? Why are we following them?" Byrdie asked. Fear lacing her words.  
"They got Beth." Was all he said in return.

As they drove, Daryl told Byrdie about the farm and the prison where his group stayed before he met her. Told her about a young girl, Maggie's sister, Beth who he got out of the prison with. Said she was taken by some people driving a car just like the one they were following.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains some info about Byrdie's pre-apocalypse life, and why it was so easy for her to just resign to her fate with the claimers.  
> Possible triggers for past abusive relationship and symptoms of PTSD.

"So, this Beth. You took care of her for a while?" Byrdie asked as they drove.  
"No. She was tough. Probly took more care a me than tha otha way 'round." Daryl replied. "Kep' me from gettin' too far in ma own head out there."

They were both silent for a minute as they drove down the dark highway.

"We got cornered by some walkers one night. I lost sight of 'er and she was jus' gone. Then I saw a car take off with a whi'e cross on the back." He said.  
"Like the one we're following?" She asked as more of a statement.  
"Yeah." Was all Daryl supplied in return.  
"Tell me more about her." Byrdie requested after another minute.  
Daryl looked at her incredulously for a moment.  
"A'right." He finally said.

As they followed the vehicle ahead, for what seemed like a couple hours, Daryl regaled Byrdie with stories of the time he spent alone with Beth. They were pulling into the city as he finished telling her the story of how Beth got him to burn a strangers cabin down and say F you to his childhood.

"This girl got you drunk, huh?" Bryrdie half asked. "I'd like to see that." She said with a small smile on her lips.  
"No. Ya wouldn'." He replied. "I'mma dick when I'm drunk."  
"Didn't mean the drunk part." Byrdie said half smiling at Daryl. At his questioning look she finished. "I meant how a little, blond, teenager cons a thirty-something redneck into getting drunk."  
"Shud'up." He said with a small laugh.

************************************************************

The car they had been following slowed and pulled to a stop at an intersection.  
"What're they stoppin' for?" Daryl asked as the vehicle ahead clicked off and the tail lights went out.  
Daryl turned their own vehicle off as a man in uniform stepped from the passenger side.

"That's a cop." Byrdie said quietly, almost to herself, as the man walked off. She tensed in the seat and Daryl looked over briefly. He didn't know her history with police. Why she didn't trust them. Why the sight of the uniform instilled a sense of fear instead of safety. They sat watching the quiet car in front of them when one of the living dead slammed into Byrdie's window. Her senses already on alert, she froze. Almost paralyzed. As she tried to compose herself the officer returned and the vehicle they were following took off again. Daryl tried to restart the car, but the engine wouldn't turn over this time.

"Shit." He mumbled to himself as he tried turning the key a couple more times. The walking corpse outside still pounding on Byrdie's window.  
"They've gotta be stayin' in the city somewhere. No other reason ta go thru instead of around." Daryl said. "We gotta find someplace to stay tha night. Pick up in the mornin'."

"Byrd? Ya alright, girl?" Daryl asked looking over at her still frozen in her seat.  
She was taking deep breathes trying to calm herself. Carefully he reached over her and lowered her window, taking out the walker he assumed was the problem. He sat back gently taking her hands. She looked down at her small hands in his large ones and then slowly up at his face, still breathing deeply.  
"It's, ok. It's dead now." Daryl said softly. "But we need ta find a place ta stay the night."

Byrdie took one more deep breath and took in her surroundings.  
"I know a place. It's close." She said softly.

************************************************************

Byrdie kept watch as Daryl pried open the door of the building she had led him to.  
"Got it." He said as the door finally gave way. They slipped in just as the dead started to notice them.

As they walked through the halls, Byrdie remembered the night which lead her to this place.

«~»~«~»~«~»~«~»~«~»~«~»~«~»~«~»~«~»~«~»~«~»~«~»~«~

"I'm sorry." She cried as he shook her. "I didn't know you'd be home so early."  
"You know I'm working this weekend. Are you stupid or something." He said pushing her closer to the stairs. "Why in he'll would I work late when I have to work all weekend? Why, Byrd?" He asked shoving her again.

He was normally so calm and collected when he was angry. But not tonight. Tonight he had gotten home early and Byrdie didn't have dinner ready yet. "Typical." He had muttered as he sat down. "Grab me a beer, gotta get something in my stomach while I wait to be fed." No, tonight he would not be calm. Tonight he had been drinking.

A half hour later Byrdie got dinner on the table. He liked everything from scratch and it was getting harder for her as she entered her third trimester.  
"It's ready." She called out to him from the dinning room.  
He sat down and stared at his dinner for a moment. Byrdie didn't dare start before him, she had been down that road.  
"The fuck is this?" He asked lifting the edge of the plate up and letting it slam back on the table.  
"It's your favorite. Meatloaf, with potatoes and green beans." She said meekly.  
"The fuck is the gravy?" He asked staring at her.  
"I'm sorry. You got home early and I had to rush the meatloaf. There wasn't enough drippings left to make gravy." She rushed out an explanation of why butter sat on top of his potatoes instead.  
"You mean you were too stupid to remember when I'd be home and get dinner started on time." He spit out. "Whatever, I'm starving so I'll eat it. Don't do it again." He said digging into his food.  
"I won't" she replied quietly as she took a bite.  
"And watch your calories." He said pointing to her plate with his fork. "Just because you're pregnant doesn't mean you can get fat."

She made sure to let him see her leave a portion of her dinner as he took another beer from the fridge and sat down on the couch. She hurriedly finished the food out of site in the kitchen while cleaning up. She was underweight already and knew the baby needed it.  
"Don't worry little one. I won't let him hurt you." She said to the baby growing inside her.

After she cleaned the kitchen she went upstairs to press and hang his uniform for the weekend. He followed her, 6 beers into his evening. 

"Why do I put up with you, Byrd?" He asked walking into her sewing room as she ironed.  
"You're stupid. Fuck up half the shit you do. Can't cook for shit. Can't clean for shit. Can't fuck for shit. Probably be a shit mom too." He said gesturing at her belly with his beer bottle.  
She just kept ironing, not responding to him.  
"Hey!" He said walking over to her. "Answer me when I talk to you."  
He smacked her once across the face causing her to drop the iron and burn her hand.  
"The fuck can't you do anything right? Can't even make gravy right." He said shaking her.  
"I'm sorry." She cried. "I didn't know you'd be home so early."

The next thing she knew she was at the bottom of the stairs. Her back hurt. Her hand hurt. He was in her face shoving hard on her stomach and screaming about what terrible mother she would be. She closed her eyes trying to block out the pain he was causing. He shifted over her and she realized it was his knee he had been shoving into her swollen belly. He got up mumbling something about saving them both the disgrace of her horrible child rearing skills. When she opened her eyes again his service weapon was pointing at her.

Her next memory was being in the hospital. A nurse telling her she would live, but they couldn't save the baby. They wanted a statement, but Byrdie was afraid he'd kill her (or have her killed) if she said anything. The nurse gave her a hotline number for shelter if she didn't want to back to him. She took the card and started crying for her baby.

»~«~»~«~»~«~»~«~»~«~»~«~»~«~»~«~»~«~»~«~»~«~»~«~»~«~

"Di'jya use ta work here?" Daryl asked as Byrdie led him through the halls.  
"No." Was all she said in reply. Opening a back office door with the keys he'd found on a desk.

She lead him through a hallway to a series of rooms with beds and desks in them. She picked one toward the end with a set of bunk beds and a window.  
"Where are we?" Daryl asked as she walked in the room, sitting down on the bottom bunk.  
"Shelter housing." She answered him as he followed her in the room.

He took note of a stack of books on surviving abuse laid out on the desk. 

"You stayed here?" He asked her. Setting his crossbow down and taking off his jacket.  
"For a short while." She answered. "You should sleep. I'll keep watch."  
"Place is locked up tight." He said to her.  
"Yeah, it is." She said back.  
"Then we both sleep." He said sitting down on the bottom bunk. "No need for watch."

She stared out the window for a little while. He stared at her.

"Ya know, I've been talking about myself for two hours to ya. An' all I know 'bout you is yer first name." Daryl said breaking the silence.  
"You don't even know that." Byrdie replied sitting down next to him and laying back.  
Daryl scrubbed his hands over his face and sighed.  
"When you snuck out to the car?" He asked. "Would ya have left if I didn' show up?"  
"No. Yes. I don't know. I'm just scared I can't, Daryl." She replied.

He laid down next to her, sighing, and put his hands over his stomach. They layed there like that for a second before Byrdie reached down and took his hand in hers, interlacing their fingers.  
"Starling." She said  
"What?" He replied.  
"Starling." She said again. "My name is Starling Kane. My mom gave me the nickname Byrdie before she died. No one's called me Starling since."  
"Hi, Starling." He said, squeezing her hand. "Daryl Dixon."

They laid like that for a while. Daryl thought she might have fallen asleep and was thinking about rearranging her so she didn't get a cramp when she spoke again. 

"I came here about 4 months before the world went to hell." She said.  
Daryl just listened quietly, squeezing her hand once more to let her know he was awake and paying attention.  
"My husband was an asshole of the highest order of assholes. Once I was able to get away I got into a shelter program for abused women. The program moved me down here from Ohio to better protect me from him. They were worried I would never really be safe with his brothers around." She paused for a minute trying not to cry.  
"He was a cop. That's why I panicked back there. It wasn't the walker, it was the cop." She said taking a deep breath. She could tell she wasn't successfully going to be able to keep from crying.  
"He killed my baby. And got away with it because of his police family. They swept it under the rug. Made me look crazy. When I got down here the doctor said I had post traumatic stress disorder from the ordeal. I was starting to get help when the world fell apart. Then those men you found me with came along. I guess my brain just said it was all I deserved." Byrdie was in tears by the time she finished.  
Daryl carefully pulled her around so her back was to the wall and he could lay next her. He wrapped his arms protectively around her tiny body and let her cry herself to sleep. Eventually Daryl fell asleep too, to the sound of her soft peaceful breathing and the smell of her hair.


	4. Chapter 4

They were getting ready to head out the next morning.  
"We'll head downtown. Git up in onea the tall buildin's. See what we can." Daryl told her.  
"Here." He said handing her a hand gun he kept on his belt. "Stay close ta me. Keep quiet. But yer gonna need it."

They crept through the quiet city streets until Daryl spotted a bridge.  
"Let's get up this one." He said of the building they were in front of. "We can see the bridge."

He pulled some note paper from his pack and lit it on fire. Throwing it toward a dumpster to distract the undead milling around as they made their way to the parking garage. Once inside Daryl took a couple more out with his bow, Byrdie grabbing the arrows from their rotting skulls as she passed. Once inside the building he took them from her, wipping the them off on the rag he kept and placing them back in his quiver.

It was a disaster inside, but quite. Until they came to the sky bridge. Several people had be camping on it and died trapped in their sleep sacks and tents. Daryl took out the ones in sacks with his buck knife. They just walked past the ones trapped inside their tents, and made their way into the office sky rise. 

They found a large office with a big window they could see the city from and walked in. Staring out the window Byrdie said.  
"You never asked what all they did to me."  
"I know wha they did. But they ain't here no more." Daryl answered.  
"You said I get to be new?" She asked.  
"Yeah. We all do." He replied "Fuck the way it was."  
"Yeah." She smiled

Daryl tapped on the glass, spotting something.  
"Ya see that?" He said, pointing to the object in question.

Byrdie peered out the window and saw what he was looking at. A white van with 2 white crosses. One on each rear window. It was perched on a overpass, the tail end hanging off the railing.  
"Do you think it's a lead?" She asked, still looking out the window.  
"Definitely." He replied picking up his crossbow.

Byrdie walked away from the window and over to a water cooler in the office.  
"We should get some of this water before we leave." She said taking two bottles out of Daryl's pack and beginning to fill them up.  
He just nodded in reply staring at the art on the walls.

"What?" She said, when she noticed him staring at it.  
"Looks like dog sat in paint and wipped it's ass across the wall." He replied.  
"Oh. I kinda like the colors." She said in return.  
He just laughed and walked out of the office.

************************************************************

On the way back out Byrdie went through the tight squeeze leading to the sky bridge first, slidding the hand gun Daryl had given her ahead.  
"Daryl wait!" She said in a panic as he pushed his crossbow through.

On the other side a kid had taken her weapon and was holding her at bay with it.  
"Give me the crossbow." The kid said as Daryl came through the squeeze.  
"Seriously, kid?" Daryl asked.  
"I don't wanna hurt you. I just need your weapons." The kid replied. "So give me the crossbow."  
"I'm sorry, I am." The kid said taking Daryl's bow."But you look tough." He nodded to Daryl. "You'll survive."  
With that the kid cut the earlier dead free from their tents and ran off. Leaving Byrdie and Daryl to handle them with only his buck knife.  
Daryl quickly pushed Byrdie back and took them both out. They ran after the kid but he was gone.

************************************************************

"Daryl, he took our weapons." Byrdie said as they made their way through the building.  
"So." Daryl replied.  
"We need weapons. Without them we could die." She said  
"We'll get new weapons." He said, trying to open a door.  
"I don't want you to die." Byrdie said to herself. But Daryl caught it.  
"You wanna know why I tried to leave?" She said to his back. "It's because I don't think I can be here. I don't know how."  
"Well you are here. Jus' like me." He replied as he got the door open.  
As the latch gave way he dropped his pack and a book fell out. Byrdie recognized it as one of the books on childhood abuse from the center. She had only told him about her husband. Her childhood had been wonderful. She knew he didn't grab it for her. Her heart ached for him at the realization.

************************************************************

They made their way to the white van sitting on the overpass. Daryl opens the doors and climbed in. He started looking for information. Any information. He found a tag labeled GMH on a gurney asked her about it. She thought it might be Grady Memorial Hospital. It made sense.

"Daryl. We've got company." She said from outside the van as the undead began to surround them.  
He pulled her in the van and he jumped out, taking a few down with his knife. There were too many though. Daryl climbed in the van behind her and shut the doors.  
"Buckle up." He said taking the drivers seat.  
Just as she braced herself they were pushed over the edge by the horde trying to get inside.

He climbed out and went around to her side opening the door.  
"Ya alright?" He asked helping her out of the van.  
"Just my shoulder. I've had worse." She replied accepting his help.

They walked for bit until they found a place to rest.  
"We're close to Grady." Daryl said. "Let's hold up, watch 'em a bit."  
"You think that's best?" Byrdie asked.  
"We'll find out." He replied.

************************************************************

They climbed to one of the upper floors of an office building across from the hospital. Daryl taking out a walker on the way and snagging the machete it had fallen on. They sat at watched the hospital until Daryl heard a bang and got up, following the noise. Byrdie followed Daryl.

They came across a corpse in the hallway, still living and pinned to the wall with an arrow. Daryl killed it with the machete and pulled the arrow out showing it to Byrdie.  
"That's mine." He said by way of explanation.  
They heard gun shots and continued to follow the noise. They eventually came across the kid who stool their weapons trying to lock one of the undead in a closet with a shelf. Daryl knocked the shelf down on the kid asking him why he followed them.  
"I didn't I swear. I'm sorry. I just needed to protect myself." The kid said.  
"Bullshit." Daryl said picking up his bow and handing the gun to Byrdie.

Daryl pulled a carton of cigarettes from the shelf, took one and lit it.  
"Please. Please. Help me." The kid begged from under the shelf.  
"Naw. I already helped once. Ain't happenin' again." Daryl said walking off.  
"Daryl, please." Byrdie said.  
"You almost died 'cause a him." Daryl shouted.  
"I didn't, Daryl. I didn't." Byrdie begged.  
"Naw." Daryl said walking off.

The living dead the kid was trying to block got through the door and came after him.  
"Daryl! Daryl!" Byrdie screamed, not knowing what to do.

Daryl paused, taking a drag off his smoke, and shot the undead with an arrow. He finished his cigarette and came back lifting the shelf off the kid.  
"Thank you." Byrdie said to him.

"Thanks." The kid said. "But we have to get outta here. They would have heard the shots and be coming to check it out."  
"Who's coming?" Byrdie asked.  
"Bad people. From the hospital." The kid said. "We tried to escape, but they got her."  
"Who, got who?" Daryl asked  
"The girl I was with, Beth." The kid answered.  
"Beth?" Daryl asked. "Was she blonde?"  
"Yeah." The kid replied, confused.  
"Take us to the hospital." Daryl demanded. "Beth's with us, she's one of our people. We're lookin' for 'er."

************************************************************

The three of them approached the hospital from the building across the street. The kid, he said his name was Noah, and Daryl were discussing how to get in when Byrdie spotted and open window. 

"Look." She said. "I can fit through that window, come around and open the door for the two of you."  
"Yeah." Daryl said. "There walkers inside?" He asked Noah.  
"No. Only in the basement. That could work if she's quiet." Noah answered.  
"I can be quiet." Byrdie said.

They watched for a bit longer, just to make sure she could make it across the street unseen. When they thought she had an opening Byrdie took off, but a station wagon turned the corner at the same time. It slammed into her, knocking her unconscious and sending her over the hood. Two officers got out of the vehicle and began checking her over, loading her up on a stretcher.

Daryl panicked and ran.  
"Byrd!" He screamed as Noah tried to restrain him.  
"Don't!" Noah yelled back. "She'll die if you take her now. They have medicine, doctors. They can fix her."  
"How do we get her back." Daryl seethed as he watched the scene unfold before him.  
"It's gonna be tough." Noah said. "They have a lot of people. And guns."  
"So do we." Is all Daryl said, walking off and forming a plan in his mind.  
Noah followed after him, thinking this slightly dangerous redneck was probably still his best shot.


	5. Chapter 5

Daryl drove with a mission the entire way back to the church. Noah kept trying to get information from him, but he was silent. All he could think about was those people had Byrdie now too. And he wasn't leaving his girls in their hands.

It was dark by the time they returned. The first person Daryl came across was Michonne.  
"Rick here?" He asked her.  
"Yeah. What happened? Where's Byrdie?" She asked.  
"Get Rick, we gotta talk." Was all he said in answer. 

Michonne took Noah inside the church, introduced him to the group and got Rick.  
"Daryl's outside." She said. "Byrdie isn't with him, he wants to talk."  
"K." Was all Rick said as he followed Michonne out of the church.

Daryl told them everything that happened. How he and Byrdie found Beth. How the same people holding Beth, now had Byrdie too. He told them both he was going back to get Byrdie and Beth, whether anyone helped or not.

"Don't just take off, Daryl." Rick said. "I'm with ya, we gotta get 'em back. But we need a plan."  
"Ricks right, Daryl. We can't just charge in." Michonne added.  
"Well then let's get ta plannin'." Daryl said.  
"Alright. Let's talk to the group. Let 'em know what's goin' on." Rick said, getting up and heading back inside the church.

"Where's Glenn 'n Maggie?" Daryl asked Michonne after following them inside.  
"They left with Abraham." She answered. "Heading to Washington. We're supposed to follow in a few days."  
"We get Byrd 'n Beth first." Daryl said.  
"Of course." Michonne nodded.

************************************************************

The entire group agreed they needed to go back for their people before heading to Washington.  
It was decided they would fortify the church in the morning. Make it as safe as possible before leaving. Michonne agreed to stay behind with Carl and Judith. Tyrese and Sasha would accompany Daryl, Rick, and Noah on the mission to save the girls.

As soon as the church was as safe as they could make it, the five headed off in the truck Daryl took to bring Noah and himself back.

Once in the city, Rick made a plan to go in with guns and take out the guards. Forcing their way in. Tyrese disagreed, wanted to captured two of the leaders cops and make a trade. Daryl liked it better. He didn't want bullets flying around. He was tired of losing people, and Tyrese's way was safer.  
"Naw, Tyrese is right." He said."Noah says this Dawn is barely holdin' it tagether. We take two a her cops, she got no choices left. She'll have ta deal."  
Rick just looked at Daryl for a moment.  
"Alright." He finally said. "How do we get two of her cops?" Rick asked the group.  
"Their looking for me." Noah supplied. "I can be bait."  
"Ya sure about tha'?" Daryl asked.  
"Yeah." Noah said. "If this goes wrong, they got me anyway. Might as well."  
"Alright." Rick said. "We use Noah to draw 'em out."

*************************************************************

The four of them hid while Noah walked out into the open and fired his weapon a few times. He waited until he heard the cruiser and then lead it to where the others waited.  
Two officers stepped from the cruiser and trained their weapons on Noah, having him drop his gun so they could zip tie his hands.  
Daryl and the others stepped forward, aiming rifles at the cops. Daryl whistled to get their attention and Rick told them to put their hands up.  
"Do as we say, you don't get hurt." Rick said.  
"Ok." Said the male officer, putting his hands up and encouraging his partner to do the same.  
"Now drop your guns 'n kneel." Rick said.  
Both officers did as he said. Daryl and Sasha tied them up, while Tyrese freed Noah.

A second car came screeming toward them and opened fire. They jumped behind some crates and returned the fire as the two officers they just captured jumped in the back of the car. Sasha took out the rear tires as it took off and the five gave chase. 

They came across the now empty vehicle in a lot filled with half melted living corpses. Daryl stayed to look around while Rick and the others went in search. Daryl was blind sided by the third officer and the two wrestled for the upper hand. Rick returned and aimed his gun at the situation, causing the officer to surrender. But Rick didn't lower his weapon .  
"Rick." Daryl said. "Rick!" Finally Rick looked over at him, keeping his weapon level with the cops head. "Three's better 'n two." Daryl said, securing the officer. Rick finally lowered his weapon.

************************************************************

The female cop didn't think their plan would work. Thought they were all going to end up dead because Dawn wanted them out of the picture anyway. The male officer disagreed. Figured if they could talk to Dawn things might go the way they wanted. The two begged Daryl and Sasha to let them talk to Rick.  
Daryl nodded, calling Rick over.  
"Yur gonna wanna talk ta these two." He said.  
Rick got up from where he was going over the plan and walked over to where his people were talking to the officers.

************************************************************

Daryl got back to the warehouse they were hold up in to find Rick had killed one of the cops they took. Rick told him he knocked Sasha out and took off, forcing Rick to chase him down.  
"This changes things." Rick said. "We got to go back to the old plan."  
"Maybe not. We still got two." Daryl replied.  
"Just don't know if they'll play ball now." Rick said.  
"Let's find out." Daryl said, turning to walk back over to the two restrained officers.

"Rotters got him. We all saw it." The female cop said as the two approached.  
"Yur a good lier."Rick said.  
"He was our only shot." She replied. "It's this or you go in guns blazing, right? So rotters got him."  
"What about you?" Rick said, pointing to the other cop.  
"If we don't agree with you, she won't listen to the deal. I don't wanna die. Rotters got him." He agreed.

************************************************************

Daryl stood on a nearby rooftop while Rick spoke with the two officers sent by Dawn in the parking lot below. He could barely make out anything Rick said, but knew the man's signals if anything went wrong. He watched carefully, he wanted his girls back.

The officers agreed to take them all back to the hospital. An even trade. The two cops they had in exchange for Byrdie and Beth.  
Daryl stood in the hallway behind Rick. Byrdie was standing next to Beth behind a group of officers. They both looked ok, if a little worse for ware he thought.  
Rick and Dawn had a brief conversation about the third officer, Daryl barely listened to.  
"Even trade. One for one." He heard Dawn say.  
Rick nodded to him and he walked the male officer to the center of the hallway. One of the other cops grabbed Beth's arm, walking her out to make the trade. Daryl grabbed her in his arms and held her for a moment. As he walked her back to the group Dawn walked Byrdie out to meet Rick and the other officer. Rick walked her back, handing her to Daryl who embraced her like he had Beth. He gently kissed the top of her head as Dawn asked for Noah back.

"No deal." Rick said. "One for one."  
"You're taking my ward. I need him." Dawn replied.  
"He ain't stayin'" Daryl said stepping forward. "You have no claim on him."  
"Then we don't have a deal." She said.  
"It's done!" Rick said.  
"It's ok. I'll go." Noah said stepping forward.  
"No. It's not." Rick said, pushing him back.

"It's not ok." A small voice said from behind Daryl.  
Beth stepped forward, walking up to Dawn. She fixed the woman with a cold stare and jammed a pair of scissors she had hidden earlier into her neck.  
Dawn's gun went off, and before he could register what happened Daryl shot her in the head. Dawn and Beth fell together, both bathing the floor in red.

"No. It's over." The female cop they had traded said as everyone drew their weapons. "It was just about her."  
Both sides lowered their weapons. Except for Daryl who seemed frozen. Byrdie walked up behind him, placing her hand on his arm and gently lowering it. He turned to her, failing at holding back tears. Daryl went to his knees and Byrdie held him, like he had done so many times for her. He vaguely registered Rick telling anyone who wanted to come with them was welcome. 

They began filing out of the hallway, Rick took Byrdie and urged her along.  
Daryl was last, he wasn't leaving either of his girls there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hated writting this. I loved Beth. And while I will never argue with another writter about their characters, I think she deserved better.

**Author's Note:**

> Fallen angel  
> With a broken arrow  
> She come for me and eased my troubled mind 
> 
> Shine a light out  
> Into the shadows  
> Of a world they made me leave behind 
> 
> Leave me peace I'm on the side of the angels  
> If I die in dream  
> Then let me live my life  
> But all lies they have told me  
> Make me wanna shiver  
> When I'm lost and I'm lonely  
> And that's not gonna ease my troubled mind 
> 
> She rode in over  
> A misty morning  
> And set the sails for where the four winds blow  
> She's a siren and I'm a warning  
> Here to say I never told you so
> 
> Leave me peace I'm on the side of the angels  
> If I die in a dream then  
> Then let me live my life  
> Cause all the lies they have told me  
> They make me wanna shiver  
> Well, I'm lost and I'm lonely  
> And that's not gonna ease my troubled mind 
> 
> Leave me peace I'm all alone with my angel  
> She died in a dream  
> So I could live my life  
> But all the lies they have told me  
> They make me wanna shiver  
> When I'm lost and I'm lonely  
> And that's not gonna ease my troubled mind


End file.
